Marking machine



Dec. 9, 1941. I c, RQBB|N$ ETAL 2,265,861

MARKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenfors. Charles F.' Robbins (3H0 B.Meyers A ys c. -F. ROBBINS ET AL. 61

MARKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 W T A m k '08 e e v M H15 kB r ML T O c w c. F. ROBBINS ETAL 2,265,861 I MARKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, I941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lnven'rors. Charles E Robbins OTTo B. Meyers y md Madam ys Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED ST" FICE G MACHINE of New Hampshire Application February 27, 1941, Serial No. 380,790

(Cl. 101-..154) I for roll is placed into its operative position in 13 Claims.

This invention relates to offset marking or printing machines of the type in which the offset or transfer roll is separable from the machine and, after it has received its ink impression from the type member or pattern member in the machine, is adapted to be removed from the machine and manually rolled over the work, thereby to transfer the ink impression thereto; and the invention relates particularly to a machine of this type which is provided with means for positively rotating the transfer roll when it is placed in its operative position in the machine to receive the ink impression, and which is so constructed that the transfer roll can be placed into its operative position in the machine, or can be removed therefrom only when said roll is in a predetermined angular Position.

"A machine of this type is illustrated in so pending application, Serial No. 377,446. filed February 5, 1941, by C. F. Robbins and David Putnam.

In the machine illustrated in said application,

the transfer roll is mounted for free rotative,

movement in a holder provided with a handle by which i m y be manually manipulat and inorder to insert the transfer roll into the machine to receive its ink impression, the operator has to make sure that said transfer roll is in its proper angular position in the holder. This frequently means that the operator has to rotate manually the transfer roll in the holder in order to bring it into the proper angular position to permit it to be inserted into the machine, for unless the transfer roll is in such predetermined angular position, it cannot be inserted into the machine and properly coupled with its driving mechanism.

It is one of the objects of the present inven tion to provide means which normally maintains the transfer roll in such predetermined angular position so that when the roll is removed from the machine it will be automatically retained in such angular position and is, therefore, always ready for insertion into the machine without requiring any attention on the part of the operator.

This end is accomplished by providing the transfer roll with means, such as a spring, which tends to hold it yieldingly in its predetermined angular position while permitting it to rotate both when it is in its operative position in the machine and when it is being manually operated to transfer the ink impression to the work.

A further object of the invention is to provide the machine, the spring or other means for yieldingly holding the roll in its predetermined angular position will be rendered inoperative so that the roll is free to be rotated by its driving shaft while it is receiving its ink impression from the type member or the pattern member, said means becoming again operative to yieldingly hold the transfer roll at its predetermined angular position when the roll is removed from the machine.

Further objects of the invention are to. improve generally machines of this type in the particulars hereinafter set forth. a

In the drawings, wherein we have illustrated a selected embodiment of our invention:

Fig. l is a front view of an offset printing machine with the transfer roll removed.

Fig. 2 is a view looking to the right, Fig. 1, with the casing removed and the transfer roll shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a view of the transfer roll looking from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating the roll in its operative position.

Fig. 4 is a'section on the line 4- 1, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5., Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Fi 5, but showing the position of the parts while the transfer roll is receiving its ink impression.

Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the parts when the transfer roll is fully introduced into its operative position in the machine.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the transfer roll is rolled over the work to transfer the ink impression thereto.

The machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is similar to that illustrated in the above-mentioned co-pending application, Serial No. 3714626, filed February 5, 1941, and it comprises two rotatable type-carrying members 3 and 4, each having a type member 5 mounted on its periphery. These type-carrying members 3 and 4 are mounted on suitable shafts 6 and I which are journaled in the frame 3, each shaft having a sprocket wheel 9 thereon which meshes with and is driven by an endless sprocket chain 10. This sprocket chain H1 is driven from a drive shaft 1 I through the medium of a one-revolution clutch indicated generally at l2, and the shaft II is geared to and driven from a motor i3.

Since the driving connections between the motor l3 and the shafts 6 and 1 are the same as those illustrated in the above-mentioned coa novel construction by which, when the trans- 7 pending application, Serial No. 377,446, we have not thought it necessary to further illustrate them.

88 indicate inking devices for inking the type members 5, each inking device including an inking roll 89 which is positively driven in a manner described in said application, Serial No. 377,446.

The transfer or offset roll which receives an ink impression from the type members 5 and by which this ink impression is transferred to the work, is indicated at I4. This transfer roll is mounted in a suitable holder l5 which is provided with a handle It by which it may be manually manipulated in a manner set forth in the above-mentioned application.

The transfer roll I4 is shown as mounted on a shaft H which is rotatively mounted in the holder I5, and for this purpose, the holder is provided with a forked portion I8 in the arms of which the shaft I! is journaled, it being noted that the shaft extends a considerable distance beyond the transfer roll on each side thereof. In fact, this shaft II extends beyond the outer faces of the arms l8 of the fork portion, thereby forming the two trunnions I9 and 20.

The frameof the machine is formed with two pairs of supporting arms, the arms of each pair forming between them an open-ended slot into which the trunnions I9 and may be inserted. The arms of one pair are indicated at 22, and those of the other pair at 23. The arms 22 form between them the open-ended slot 24, and the supporting arms 23 provide between them the open-ended slot 25.

The transfer roll is introduced into the machine by entering the trunnion extensions I9 and 29 into the open-ended slots 24, 25, and when the roll is in a position in which the trunnions I9 and 29 bottom against the inner ends of the slots 24, 25, the transfer roll will then be in an operative position to receive an ink impression from each of the type members 5.

After the transfer roll has been introduced into the machine, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the operator trips the clutch I2 and starts the machine in operation, thereby rotating the type members 3 and 4. As stated above, the clutch I2 is a one-revolution clutch which operates to bring the machine to rest after the type members 3 and 4 have each made a complete rotation.

The machine herein illustrated, as well as that illustrated in the above-mentioned co-pending application, is provided with means for positively rotating the transfer roll in synchronism with the type-carrying members 3 and 4 when the roll is inserted into its operative position to receive an ink impression. For this purpose, the trunnion end 20 of the shaft I7 is provided with the wedge-shaped slot 26 which is adapted to receive the wedge-shaped end 21 of a shaft 28 which is permanently journaled in the frame and is connected to the driving means for the typecarrying members 3 and 4, so as to rotate synchronously therewith.

When the machine has been brought to rest at the end of any operation, the shaft 28 will be positioned with the wedge-shaped end 21 extending horizontally and with the narrow edge of the wedge directed toward the open end of the slot 25.

When the transfer roll is angularly positioned in its holder with the wide end of its slot 26 directed away from the handle I8 as shown in Fig. 3, then the transfer roll can be inserted into its operative position, and in so doing, the wedgeshaped end 21 of the shaft 28 will enter the wedge-shaped slot 26 of the roll shaft I'I, thereby coupling these two shafts together so that when the machine is started in operation, the transfer roll will be positively rotated synchronously with the type-carrying members 3 and 4.

The mechanism for tripping the clutch I2 is similar to that shown in co-pending application, Serial No. 377,446, filed February 5, 1941. The clutch is tripped by depressing a trip arm 3I fast on a shaft 92, the depressing of said trip arm Hi from the full to the dotted line position, Fig. 2, operating to raise the arm 93 which is rigid with the shaft 92, and the rising movement of the arm 93 trips the clutch and renders it operative in the manner described in the co-pending application, Serial No. 377,446.

The trip arm 9| is actuated by the holder I5 after the transfer roll I4 has been introduced into the machine, and for this purpose, said holder is provided with the clutch-actuating projection 94, the end of which is bent laterally and is adapted to engage the end of the trip arm 9| when the transfer roll has been introduced into the machine, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. With the transfer roll at its operative position, a downward swinging movement of the handle I6 will cause the end 95 of the clutchactuating member 94 to engage and depress the trip arm 9|, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, thereby tripping the clutch and starting the machine in operation.

After the machine has been started and has made one cycle of operations, during which the type member 5 on each type-carrying member 3 and 4 lays an ink impression on the transfer roll, said machine will come to rest through the operation of the one-revolution clutch I2 with the shaft 28 in the angular position shown in Fig. 2, so that the transfer roll can be manually.

withdrawn from the machine for the purpose of being rolled over the Work to transfer the ink impression thereto, as shown in Fig. 8.

The construction thus far described is similar in all respects to that illustrated in the abovementioned co-pending application, Serial No. 377,446, filed February 5, 1941.

In our present invention, we have provided means by which, when the transfer roll is removed from the machine, it will be yi-eldingly held in the proper angular position to permit it to be inserted back into the machine again, but at the same time, it will be capable of rotating in the holder for transferring the ink impression to the work. When the ink impression has been thus transferred, however, the roll will be automatically restored to its predetermined angular position and will thus be correctly positioned to be inserted into the machine without requiring any attention on the part of the operator.

We accomplish this end by providing the transfer roll with a return spring which yieldingly holds it in such predetermined position, and we also have provided means whereby when the transfer roll is introduced into the machine, it is. freed from the influence of the return spring, and thus it is free to be rotated during the time it receives the ink impression from the type members without being subjected to any retarding action of the spring.

The return spring which thus serves to yieldingly hold the transfer roll I4 in its predetermined angular position is indicated at 29, and it is in the nature of a coiled spring having one end 39 secured to the holder l as by means. of a screw 3|. The other end 32 of the spring is secured to a collar 33' which is loosely mounted onthe shaft I but is adapted to be locked thereto or unlocked therefrom. When the collar is locked to the shaft I1, then the spring 29 acts on the transfer roll through the collar and yieldingly holds it in its predeterminedangular po-- sition, but when the collar is unlocked from the shaft, then the transfer roll is freed from the influence of the spring and can be turned freely on the shaft without placing the spring under tension.

A stop is provided for limiting the spring-impelled rotative movement of the collar 33, and hence for thus limiting the spring-impelled rotativemovement of the transfer roll l4 when the collar is locked to the shaft, and retaining said roll in the angular position shown in Fig. 3 in which the Wide end of the slot 26 is directed away from the handle I6. The collar 33 is shown as having a groove 34 in one side face thereof in which is received the end of a stop screw 35 that is mounted in one of the arms l8 of the holder 15. The collar also carries an abutment member 33 which is located in the groove 34 and which, by its engagement with the stop pin 35, limits the turning movement of the collar.

The means for locking the shaft I! to the collar comprises a dog 31 having a projection 38 adapted to engage in a groove 39 formed in the collar. This dog is acted on by a spring 40 which tends to force the dog outwardly and to yieldingly maintain it in the slot 39, as shown in Fig. 5. The dog 31 is shown as carried by a plunger 4| which is received in a recess 42 formed in the shaft I1, and the spring 4!) acts against the plunger and thus tends to force it and the dog outwardly. So long as the nose 3% of the dog is in the slot 33, the collar and the shaft i! will be locked together and the return spring 29 will thus act on the shaft I! and transfer roll [4 through the collar and will yieldingly hold the stop 35 in contact with the abutment 36 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This stop and abutment are so positioned that when the stop pin rests against the abutment, as shown in Fig. 3, the roll 14 will be in the correct angular position to be inserted into its operative position in the machine.

Means are provided whereby when the transfer roll is inserted into the machine, the dog will be automatically Withdrawn from its looking engagement with the collar 33 so that the transfer roll will be freed from the influence of the spring 29 and can be rotated to receive its ink impression without placing the spring under tension. To provide for this, the dog 31 is formed with a lateral projection 43 which is adapted to be engaged by the Wedge-shaped end 21 of the shaft 28 when the roll shaft I1 is coupled thereto. It will be observed that the wedge-shaped end 2'! of the shaft 28 is provided with a notch 44, and when the transfer roll is introduced into the machine, the projection 43 of the dog 37 is engaged by the notch 44, as shown in Fig. '7, with the result that during the final movementbf the transfer roll into its operative position, the dog 31 will be moved inwardly against the action of the spring 40 and will thus be disconnected or withdrawn from the slot 39.

The withdrawal of the dog from the groove 39 frees the roll Hi from the influence of the return spring 29, and so long as the transfer roll is held in its operative position in the machine,

the transfer roll and its shaft. are free to bev 110-. tated: bythe shaft28'withoutp1'acing; prin 29- under tension.

The operating mechanism for driving the, shaft 28 is such that during each cycle of operations, said shaft makes two complete rotations. and hence. when the machine comes to rest, after it has. been operated to lay an ink impression on the transfer roll. said transfer roll will be in aposition in which the slot. 39: registers. with the nose 3B of the dog 31. Hence. during. the initial retracting movement ofthe transfer roll by which it is withdrawn from the machine, the spring 40- will move the dog; outwardly into lockingengagement with the slot 39, even before the transfer roll has been moved backwardly a sufficient distance to disconnect the shaft H from the shaft 28. When the transfer roll has been removed from the machine, therefore, the shaft I! will be locked to the collar 33 and said roll will thus be under the influence of the return spring 29 which yieldingzly holds the roll in; its predetermined angular position with the stop against the abutment 36, and with the wide end of the slot 215 directed awayfrom the handle Hi, as shown in Fig. 3

When the transfer roll, with the ink impression thereon, is manually manipulated and rolled over the. work w, theink impression on the transfer roll it will be transferred to the work, as shown in Fig. 8. During this operation, the return spring 2 9- will be wound up because the collar 33 is. locked tothe roll and thence with the latter. When the transfer roll M has been thus rolled over the work to transfer the ink impression thereto and is then lifted off from the work, the return spring- 23 will act automatically tov return the roll to its initial position with the stop 35 against. the abutment 36 and with the wide end of the slot 215 directed away from the handle [6, as shown in Fig; 3'. The transfer roll is thus automatically placed in the correct angular position to be inserted into the machine again, and when it has been so inserted, and the machine set in operation, the next ink impression which is laid on the transfer roll by the type members. 5 will register exactly with the Previous impression which the transfer roll received.

For this reason it is unnecessary tov clean the transfer roll after each operation because all. of the successive ink impressions which are applied thereto register exactly with each other.

While we have illustrated herein a selected embodiment of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

We claim:

1. An offset marking machine comprising a frame, a rotatable type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to removably support the roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate both the type member and the transfer roll when the latter is in its operative position, and means acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in a predetermined angular position.

2. An offset marking machine comprising a frame, a rotatable type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to removably support the ink in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate both-the type member and the transfer roll when the latteris in its operative position, means acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in a predetermined angular position when it is removed from the frame, and means to render the last-named means inoperative when the transfer roll is in its operative position.

3. An offset marking machine comprising a frame, a rotatable type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to removably support the roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate both the type member and the transfer roll when the latter is in its operative position, a spring acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in a predetermined annular position when it is removed from the frame, and means to free the transfer roll from the influence of the spring when said transfer roll is in its operative position.

4. A machine of the class described, a frame, a type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate the type roll when it is in its operative position, said means including a coupling having separable coupling members which can be coupled as the transfer roll is inserted into its operative position only when said transfer roll is in a predetermined angular position, and means acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in such angular position when the roll is removed from the frame.

5. A machine of the class described, a frame, a type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate the type roll when it is in its operative position, said means including a coupling having a separable coupling members which can be coupled as the transfer roll is inserted into its operative position only when said transfer roll is in a predetermined angular position, and a spring acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in such angular position when said roll is removed from the frame.

6. A machine of the class described, a frame, a

type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from. the frame, the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate the type roll when it is in its operative position, said means including a coupling having separable coupling members which can be coupled as the transfer roll is inserted into its operative position only when said transfer roll is in a predetermined angular position, means acting on the transfer roll when removed from the machine and yieldingly holding it in such predetermined angular position, and means to render said last-named means inoperative when the transfer roll is inserted into its operative position.

'7. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder therefor separable from the frame, the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means operative to rotate the transfer roll when it is in its operative position, said means including a coupling having separable coupling members which can be coupled as the transfer roll is inserted into its operative position only when said transfer roll is in a predetermined angular position, a spring acting on the transfer roll when removed from the machine and yieldingly holding it in such predetermined angular position,

and means to free the roll from the influence of the spring when said roll is inserted into its operative position.

8. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder in which the transfer'roll is rotatably mounted, said holder being'separable from the frame and the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means to rotate the transfer roll when it is in its operative position, a collar carried by the holder concentric with the transfer roll, a return spring connected to the collar, means normally locking the collar to the transfer roll whereby the spring acts thereon through the collar to yieldingly hold said transfer roll in a predetermined angular position, and means operative when the transfer" roll is placed in its operative position to unlock the collar from the roll thereby to free the latter from the influence of the return spring.

9. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a type member mounted therein, a transfer roll, a holder in which the transfer roll is rotatably mounted, said holder being separable from the frame and the latter having means to support said roll in an operative position to receive an ink impression from the type member, means to rotate the transfer roll when it is in its operative position, a collar carried by the holder concentric with the transfer roll, a return spring connected to the collar, a coupling dog normally coupling said collar to said shaft, whereby the return spring acts to yieldingly hold the transfer roll in a predetermined angular position when said roll is removed from the machine, and means to render the dog inop rative when the transfer roll is placed in its operative position, thereby to free the transfer roll from the influence of the spring while it is being rotated to receive its ink impression.

10. A transfer roll device for an offset printing machine, which device is separable from the printing machine and is adapted when removed rom the machine for manual manipulation to apply an ink impression to the work, said device comprising a holder having a handle by which it can be manually manipulated, a transfer roll rotatably mounted in said holder, a coupling member connected to said roll and by which said roll can be coupled to a roll-rotating element when said transfer roll device is inserted into the printing machine, and means acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in a predetermined angular position when the device is removed from the machine.

11. A transfer roll device for an offset printing machine, which device is separable from the printing machine and is adapted when removed from the machine for manual manipulation to apply an ink impression to the work, said device comprising a holder having a handle by which it can be manually manipulated, a transfer roll rotatably mounted in said holder, a coupling member connected to said roll and by which said roll can be coupled to a roll-rotating element when said transfer roll device is inserted into the printing machine, means acting on the transfer roll and yieldingly holding it in a predetermined angular position when the device is removed from the machine, and means to render said lastnamed means inoperative when the transfer roll device is inserted into the machine.

12. A transfer roll device of the class described comprising a holder having a handle by which it can be manually manipulated, a shaft rotatably mounted in said holder, a transfer roll on the shaft, said shaft having at one end a coupling member adapted to be coupled to a complementary member in the machine when the transfer roll device is inserted into its operative position, a collar loosely mounted on said shaft, a dog normally coupling the collar to the transfer roll, a return spring connected to the collar and acting therethrough to yieldingly hold the transfer roll in a predetermined angular position 13. A transfer roll device of the class described comprising a holder having a handle by which it can be manually manipulated, a shaft rotatably mounted in said holder, a transfer roll on the shaft, said shaft having at one end a coupling member adapted to be coupled to a complementary member in the machine when the transfer roll device is inserted into its operative position, a collar loosely mounted on said shaft, a dog normally coupling the collar to the transfer roll, a return spring connected to the collar and acting therethrough to yieldingly hold the transfer roll in a predetermined angular position, and means for disconnecting the dog from the transfer roll when said roll is placed in its operative position in the frame, whereby said roll is freed from the influence of the spring while it is receiving its ink impression.

CHARLES F. ROBBINS.

OTTO B. MEYERS. 

